BCI and All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) have signed an agreement in Lahore, Pakistan. In the agreement, APTMA pledge to champion BCI with the objective of making Better Cotton a mainstream commodity, country-wide. APTMA is Pakistan’s largest textile trade association, representing 396 manufacturers across the country, and have been a member of BCI since the organisation was founded in 2005. With the signing of this agreement, BCI’s mission of making Better Cotton a global, mainstream commodity takes a significant step forwards.

APTMA Chairman Punjab Seth Muhammad Akbar, said that the growth that BCI have achieved in Pakistan this year is ‘a clear indication that the supply and demand of Better Cotton is rapidly on the rise.’ He also said that he believes partnering with BCI will ‘help boost textile exports across the textile value chain from farm to fashion to foreign trade.’

Mr. Hakim Ali, a representative from Nagina Group (APTMA member), said in a recent interview ‘BCI is assisting us to approach different manufacturers, traders & ginners on an international platform.’

Pakistan is the world’s fourth largest cotton producer and importantly also holds the third largest spinning capacity in Asia (after China and India). Thousands of ginning and spinning units in Pakistan produce cotton textile products to supply the global market. In 2013, BCI licensed 46,500 farmers to produce Better Cotton in Pakistan. These farmers achieved an average of 42% higher profit than farmers using conventional techniques, and 14% less water. That’s better for the environment, better for those producing cotton in Pakistan, and better for the future of the sector.

To read more about the benefits of Better Cotton to supply chain actors in Pakistan and globally, read our stories from the supply chain by clicking here.